Review: Bitter End by Jennifer Brown

Summary:

When Alex falls for the charming new boy at school, Cole, a handsome, funny, sports star who adores her, she can't believe she's finally found her soul mate-someone who truly understands her and loves her for who she really is.

At first, Alex is blissfully happy. Sure, Cole seems a little jealous of her relationship with her best friends, Zack and Bethany, but what guy would want his girlfriend spending all of her time with another boy? But as the months pass, Alex can no longer ignore Cole's small put-downs, pinches, or increasingly violent threats. As Alex struggles to come to terms with the sweet boyfriend she fell in love with and the boyfriend whose "love" she no longer recognizes, she is forced to choose - between her "true love" and herself.

Review:

Jennifer Brown is a wonderful author.  I had very high expectations going into this book after reading and loving Hate List, her first novel. (I even went quite fangirly before I was even done with the novel.)

But, after reading Bitter End, I think I like it even more than I did Hate List.  The pacing was great.  I didn't feel as if it was slow at any point in time. Even though the novel was 350 pages long, it flew by quickly.

The characters were also great.  Many of us girls say, "If I was ever in a situation where my boyfriend was hitting me, I would be gone!" but with Bitter End being written from Alex's point of view, readers can really see how they think and why they stay in the relationship.  Readers really sympathize with Alex during the novel.  Cole was also written wonderfully.  Though at times I felt as if he could be a little cheesy, that is actually how abusers are.

The other thing that I really liked about Bitter End was that even though it is a novel of abuse, and thhere is abuse described in the novel, it is described in a nice way.  (If that makes sense.)  What I'm trying to say is that, yes, the abuse is descibed, but Jennifer Brown describes it in a way where it is not too graphic, which is really nice.

Jennifer Brown really did her research with this novel.  It is great.  It really is a must read for everyone, and it comes highly, highly recommended from me.

Overall (aka "The Quick Review"):

It's wonderful and a must read.  Go buy it now!

Grade: A+

hope.